Key Policy Letters Signed by the Education Secretary or Deputy SecretaryOctober 18, 2006

October 18, 2006

Dear Colleague:

The White House recently convened a Conference on School Safety following a series
of tragic shootings that have taken place in our nation's schools. The event provided
an opportunity for experts in the field to share successful strategies and to
learn more about how schools and communities can prevent serious incidents of
school violence.

As a mother, I know that there is nothing more important than keeping our children
safe. Schools should be havens of safety and learning. Unless our students feel
safe, they can't learn. Parents, educators, community members, law enforcement
officials, researchers, and policymakers all share the responsibility of protecting
our children. By working together, I hope we can learn from these tragedies
and improve the safety of schools across our nation.

I have included a brief message with information about the conference and available
resources developed by the Department of Education to help schools prevent and
respond to a variety of crisis situations. I ask that you share this message
with members of your organization through publications, your Web site, or member
Listservs.

I look forward to working with you as we continue our efforts to protect all
of our children and make our schools safer.

The White House recently convened a Conference on School Safety following a
series of tragic shootings that have taken place in our nation's schools. The
conference was designed to provide an opportunity for educators, law enforcement
officials, mental health providers, representatives of community-based organizations,
parents, and students to come together to share successful strategies for preventing
violence and learn from one another.

School violence is a complex problem requiring a comprehensive approach. As
such, panelists and participants discussed a wide range of topics, including:
• Research about the nature and extent of school violence;
• Ways law enforcement, schools, and others can partner to establish safe
environments and prevent school shootings;
• Emergency management planning activities that help schools prepare to
respond to violent acts and other crises; and
• Strategies to help school communities heal and recover if and when a
violent incident occurs.

We know that while schools are safe and shootings are rare, we can work to
make them even safer. There are positive steps that schools and their communities
can take to prevent school violence and respond quickly and effectively if an
incident does occur. One significant tool for schools is the development of
a comprehensive emergency management plan that addresses a wide range of possible
crises. Plans should identify all hazards that may face a school, and address
the four phases of emergency management: prevention-mitigation, preparedness,
response, and recovery.

Once the plan is developed, information must be disseminated to teachers, students,
and parents so they know how the plan works and what to expect if there is a
crisis. A crucial element of an effective plan is that it is updated regularly
and practiced often. As one conference panelist said, "You don't learn
to dance the night before the ball." Having a well-practiced plan in place
is essential to being prepared to respond in a crisis.

Additional resources about the four phases of crisis planning, available grant
opportunities, and other important topics related to school safety are available
from the U.S. Department of Education.

I invite you to visit our Web site at http://www.ed.gov/emergencyplan
to learn more about strategies that can be implemented to help schools in your
community prevent violent incidents. Working together, we can protect our children
and create safer schools.